Livingstone Youth Action Group

Issue to address: Cost of living ruining Christmas for some

Members of the group acknowledged although it’s the festive season there are many families that are doing it tough this Christmas due to the rising cost of living. 

Solution

The group chose to use this term to research charities in the local area and to help those doing it tough. This is the groups Term 4, 2023 community project.

How we made it happen!

• The group were keen to help local charities ‘Hope in a Suitcase’ & ‘Anglicare’s Adopt-A-Family’.
• Hope in a Suitcase: The aim is to provide children across Australia, entering foster care or out-of-home care,something to call their own. Often children leave their homes with nothing and are placed into care, peopledonate suitcases full of essential items for these children to have their own personal belongings.
• Adopt-A-Family Christmas Appeal: Anglicare have a list of families seeking support this Christmas. People canadopt a family from this list providing the family with a food hamper and Christmas presents that will bedistributed to the family by Anglicare.
• Once the group knew who they were shopping for they set out on a challenge at the shopping centre to putthemselves in other people situations and to images what items these children and families would need.
• Once the suitcases and hampers were ready, they were delivered to the charities ready to be distributed to thosewho need the help most.

For anyone wanting to support Hope in a Suitcase please visit the Hope In A Suitcase website.
For anyone wanting to support appeals run by Anglicare please visit the Anglicare CQ Facebook page.

The Outcome…

Issue to address: Cost of living and supporting a youth support service

In February 2023 Livingstone Shire Council and Future Anything held a ‘Big Ideas Challenge’.

Approx. 100 students from various high schools attended the challenge, which encourages students to think innovation and future. At the end of the day groups of young people had 1 minute to pitch an idea for a community project that could be delivered for approx. $2000. Our Livingstone Youth Action Group judged the ideas and selected the winners of the challenge.

Watch the winning ideas here:

Solution: A community garden!

The Livingstone Youth Action Group then worked with these young people through term 1 & 2, 2023 to bring their ideas to life- A community garden for a cause!

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group drafted their own community garden designs and considered the elements that were important to include (eg garden shed, workbench, raised garden beds etc)  
• The group then looked at a variety of locations within the community and looked at the pro’s and con’s of each area. Members reached a conclusion that the garden needed to be in a central location that was well supervised to ensure its success.
• The group drafted a list of stakeholder to see who should also be involved in this project to ensure it is a learning opportunity. People identified included Cap Coast Landcare, Jack’s Paddock, Council Nursery etc
• The group then developed a budget to look at what items were needed, and also sought donations and support  from local businesses including Bunnings & Capricorn Coast Sand & Soil
• The group researched companion planting, composting and plants suitable for the space chosen for the garden (The Community Centre precinct in Yeppoon)
• This was going to be a big job bringing the garden to life, so the group set up a ‘working bee’ event to include in Council’s school holiday program. The working bee would provide hands on learning while also listening to guest speakers talk about constructing a garden bed, composting and companion gardening

The Outcome…

Issue to address: Vaping and making unhealthy choices

During our first meeting in term 1, 2023 group members discussed how quickly vaping is becoming an issue, especially within their schools. The group wanted to address the vaping concerns and brainstormed ideas around providing education around the negative effects of vaping. After further discussions the group decided to address ‘unhealthy choices’ in general.

Solution: Education around unhealthy choices and help to make healthy choices!

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group thought about ways to make the educational sessions fun so young people would attend
• The group decided the workshop could include making a healthy breakfast, lunch and after school snack, this would be fun and young participants would then get to eat their recipes
• The group decided providing the education around unhealthy choices could be provided while participants were eating what they just made
• YAG reached out to CQ Youth Connect to discuss booking in these educational sessions and for them to attend with their educational resources
• The group then looked at where the workshops could be held, somewhere that could also provide the cooking component of the workshops.
• The group engaged with the Real Group who provided the space and a staff member to run participants through 3 healthy recipes (overnight oats, acai bowls and after school smoothies)
• Once everyone was confirmed the group created the poster and set up bookings through Eventbrite

The Outcome…

Issue to address: Safety Online

Cyber Bullying is an ongoing concern. Many young people are affected by negative online behaviours.

Solution: Take time online...

The Livingstone Youth Action Group had a variety of messages encouraging kind behaviour printed on a variety of tech gadgets. The items were then distributed to students at local high schools and served as a reminder to think before you post.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group, with the support of PCYC and Council, submitted a funding application under the Queensland Government's 2019 Tackle Cyber Bullying Grants Program.
• The funding application was successful and the group commenced work on the 'Take time while ONLINE' project
• The group came up with some creative messages to encourage kind behaviour online and looked at some handy tech gadgets to get the messages printed on.
• The gadgets included headphones, webcams and laptop stickers and were distributed to students throughout local high schools.

Issue to address: Giving Youth a voice!

Young people expressing what's important to them in a way others will take attention to.

Solution: Being heard.. creatively

The Livingstone Youth Action Group led a street art project delivering a message that's important to them and many
other young people.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group set out to create a piece of street art but wanted to ensure it had meaning behind it.
• Survey - The group established a survey to ask other young people about what the theme for the artwork should be and where they would like to see the artwork. The results showed that an environmental message was important to young people and that the artwork should be near Yeppoon Central.
• Location - The group explored the area looking at potential locations, and identifying the showgrounds fence as desirable. The group approached the Yeppoon Show Society and sought and gained permission for the mural.
• Theme - The group designed a concept and message to reduce littering and get people to consider the environment more. The concept included the world throwing rubbish, with the message 'What if the world treated us, the way we treat her?'
• Implementation - The group engaged with local Artist Martin Schlick to paint the mural, which has received ongoing positive feedback and makes a bold and bright statement!

Issue to address: Fresh produce going to waste

Community garden 'Jack's Paddock' needed solutions to their oversupply of produce.

Solution: Reducing food waste at Jack's Paddock community garden.

The Livingstone Youth Action Group partnered with Upcycle CQ and Jack’s Paddock, in their endeavour to upcycle tech items, and other various items, into something purposeful to donate to Jack’s Paddock community garden.
The solution was to build a solar food dehydrator from recycled items to donate to Jack's Paddock. The dehydrator
being used to preserve food, reducing food wastage.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group met with members of Jack's Paddock's community garden to discuss the garden and potential improvements
• It was during this discussion that food wastage was identified as a concern
• The group researched ways to reduce food wastage, coming across food dehydrators as an option to preserve the food grown in the community garden
• The group worked alongside Upcycle CQ to design and build a food dehydrator from recycled items
• Important elements of the design were discussed and a design was drawn up (see below image)

• From the design the group constructed a prototype from cardboard, allowing a better understanding of working parts etc.
• Once the group were happy with the design/ prototype, the group got on the tools to build the dehydrator using old fridge shelves, timber from picture frames, old wheels from lawn mowers etc.

The outcome...

Dehydrator Project Report

Issue to address: Lack of self-development learning opportunities

The Livingstone Youth Action Group are keen to participate in self-development opportunities, but noticed not much
existed in our local community.

Solution: A program all about youth development and education

The Livingstone Youth Action Group considered youth-relevant topics to design and implement a 'YOU Development' program.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group explored what topics should be covered in the program. Once this list was established we researched who in the community could assist us with delivering the workshops around each of the topics.
• The group sent out correspondence to a large variety of local community organisations seeking their support and partnership for the education program.
• The group then pulled together a final program that included the organisations who responded, which included CQ Youth Connect, Legal Aid, Strengthening Family Connections, Link & Launch and Saver Plus.
• The program was promoted and delivered in the Livingstone Community for young people and families.

The outcome...

In July 2021 the Livingstone Youth Action Group took the opportunity to apply for a grant through the QLD Government’s ‘Investing in QLD Women’ funding initiative to address the unique issues faced by women and girls in the community.

The group investigated the Queensland Women’s Strategy and considered the 4 strategic priorities. The group had a particular interest in key priority area 1: Participation & Leadership. This priority was to ensure Queensland women and girls participate fully and equally in society and as leaders in the community,in politics and business.

Once the group chose this priority area to address they then discussed project ideas that would create positive change for women and girls. After a few brainstorming sessions, the group came up with ‘Project INSPIRE’!

Project INSPIRE is about inspiring young females to take the first step towards their career goals, regardless of the industry, through sharing the stories of local women working in male dominated industries and/or in leadership positions.

The group then set out to find 5 local women doing just that! They approached many male dominated industries to seek out female employees who may be interested in participating in this community project. Through their efforts, they found a female Police Officer, a female Fire Fighter, a female Builder, a female Truck Driver and a female DV worker.

Their next step was to interview these women and ask questions they, and their peers, would find interesting, relatable and inspiring. The 5 women then shared their stories and career journey’s with the group.

The next challenge for the Youth Action Group was to find a way to publish this information in a fun and funky way to encourage young readers engagement! The group worked alongside a graphic designer to turn the 5 women into Avatars and to share these stories through a series of fun Library displays and a book to compliment!

Each high school and Library in the Shire will receive the Library displays and books to continue inspiring young women and empower them to take the first step, regardless of the challenges!

Want to read the stories? Below are the 5 local women who participated in this project and shared their own challenges, inspiration, journeys and successes with us.

You can also view the book here. 

Issue to address: No youth space

There is no space allocated for youth to run activities from within the community. A space that feels youth friendly
and a place young people won't get moved on from.

Solution: Providing a youth-friendly space!

To find a space and develop into a youth-friendly meeting and activity space.

How we made it happen!

• The Livingstone Youth Action Group were meeting in a community room at the Yeppoon Community Centre. The room was dark, old and wasn't a space that would attract young people to engage
• The group considered some minor improvements that could be made to the meeting room, to bring it to life as their meeting space and as a space that youth-relevant activities could be held at
• Another option was the Basketball Stadium which had vacant rooms at the time
• The group decided to focus on the Basketball Stadium and commenced working on improvements for the area
• The group worked with local Artist Martin Schlick to design a mural in the 'Youth Room', group members wanted to include a basketballl, seagull, pizza, phones, waves, palm trees, thongs, skateboard, game controller and other elements unique to our lifestyle into the design
• The group upcycled a timber TV unit, creating a unique basketball themed piece
• PAM furnishings donated some chairs for the youth room and the group purchased a ping pong table also
• The group chose the colours for the walls, and the basketball silhouettes that have visually improved the overall space
• This area is now the Livingstone Youth Action Group's meeting space

The outcome...

Issue to address: Boredom after COVID

Young people were keen to see something fun happen after the past 2 years of COVID restrictions.

Solution:

An event was planned providing an opportunity for young people to celebrate the end of the school year now that
covid restrictions have passed.

How we made it happen!

• The group were keen to plan a youth event to celebrate the end of the school year and what is hopefully the end of many COVID restrictions.
• A Christmas theme dance & games night was planned, with the group organising inflatable amusements and a games schedule
• The group utilised their new youth space at the Basketball court to run the event from.
• QLD Police were invited also to ensure safety.
• Blazers Basketball ran the canteen.
• Group members ran the games schedule on the night with gift cards as prizes.

The outcome...